1993 LAND ROVER DEFENDER

WHILE DRIVING MY 1993 LAND ROVER NAS DEFENDER 110 TO AN APPOINTMENT, I NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT COMPLETELY FILLED UP WITH SMOKE MAKING VISIBILITY POSSIBLE ONLY OUT THE OPEN DRIVER'S WINDOW. UPON OPENING THE HOOD, FLAMES POURED OUT. THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WAS ABLAZE. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHUT OFF, DESPITE THE IGNITION HAVING BEEN SHUT OFF AND THE KEY HAVING BEEN REMOVED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE ONLY WAY TO SHUT THE ENGINE OFF WAS TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY. THE FIRE WAS BURNING THE AC EQUIPMENT AND ENCLOSURE, VEHICLE WIRING AND HOOD, FENDERS, ETC. THE VEHICLE SUFFERED DESTROYED WIRING HARNESSES, THE ENGINE, THE ENTIRE AC UNIT, HOOD AND VARIOUS OTHER BODY PARTS, RESULTING IN A TOTAL LOSS. SOME PARTS ARE NO LONGER AVAILABLE. THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS A PIN HOLE LEAK IN ONE OF THE OIL COOLER LINES. THE LEAK SPRAYS A FINE MIST OF HOT ENGINE OIL DIRECTLY ON THE HOT EXHAUST MANIFOLD. THE RESULT IS AN OIL-FUELED ENGINE FIRE. NOT BEING

Mileage: 76,893

THIS IS MORE OF A GENERAL COMPLAINT REGARDING A MODEL TYPE, AS IT HAS COME TO MY ATTENTION THAT THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF INCIDENTS OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS THAT ARE NOT BEING ACKNOWLEDGED BY THE MANUFACTURER. THE INVOLVED VEHICLES ARE THE 1993 LAND ROVER DEFENDER-110, AND THE 1994-95 LAND ROVER DEFENDER-90. IT HAS BEEN FILTERING AROUND MOST ENTHUSIAST GROUPS THAT THESE TRUCKS ARE SUFFERING SOME TYPE OF EQUIPMENT FAILURE THAT IS CAUSING ENGINE BAY FIRES WHILE THE ENGINE IS RUNNING. THESE ALL SEEM TO OCCUR ON THE FRONT RIGHT SIDE OF THE ENGINE BAY, SPREAD RAPIDLY, AND ENTER THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT WITHIN A SHORT TIME FRAME. NO COLLISIONS ARE INVOLVED IN THESE FIRES, THE GENERAL CONSENSUS IS THAT THE FIRES ARE MOST LIKELY CAUSED BY FAILING PRESSURIZED HOSES THAT ARE PART OF THE OIL COOLING SYSTEM. THE HOSES HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO SPLIT WITHOUT WARNING AND BECAUSE OF THEIR LOCATION WILL SPRAY FINELY MISTED ENGINE OIL ONTO THE RIGHT SIDE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. ANOTHER SUSPECTED CAUS